International Project Update

Transcription

1 International Project Update - Mike Garrett (ASTRON & Leiden) Chair SKA Science & Engineering Committee

2 This talk - SKA: a global vision for Radio Astronomy - Science drivers - Pathfinders, Precursors, SKA1 & SKA2 - SKA Ltd. - a new legal entity and governance - SKA1 & the Pre-construction phase - Site selection - Overall Schedule

3 Top-level description Large radio telescope for transformational science: up to 1 million m 2 collecting area distributed over a distance of km operating as an interferometer at frequencies from 70 MHz to 10 GHz (4m-3cm) with two or more detector technologies connected to a correlator and high performance computing system by an optical fibre network (sensor network) Providing 50 x sensitivity & up to x survey speed of E-VLA 67 institutes in 20 countries are participating! EVLA

4 SKA Key Science Drivers Origins: HI in the universe from the Dark ages, through the EoR to now: When did the first stars and galaxies form? What objects reionised the Universe? How did galaxies evolve over cosmic time? The nature of dark Energy, dark Matter Astro-biology Planetary formation, complex molecules and SETI Fundamental Physics: General Relativity, gravitational waves & eqn state nuclear matter Origin & evolution of cosmic magnetism Transients (the unknown & new phenomena)

5 SKA Concept SKA scales > 2 decades of e-m spectrum: MHz < 500 MHz => Range of different receptor technologies > 500 MHz 5

6 SKA Phases Construction will proceed in phases: Precursors/pathfinders, SKA 1, SKA 2 SKA 1 will be a subset (~10%) of SKA 2 (see SKA Memo 125). ==> Phased construction also permits maximum use of advances in technology

7 SKA Timeline - past, present and future Preliminary R&D Initial Concept Phase Preparatory Phase System design, Site selection, Governance Pre-construction Phase Detailed design, Production readiness Construction (SKA1 and SKA2) Operations

8 SKA 1 baseline design Baseline technologies are demonstrated in the SKA Pathfinder & Precursors Central Region 250 x 15-m dishes Sparse Aperture Array stations (5 x LOFAR) Single pixel feed Artist renditions from Swinburne Astronomy Productions

9 Advanced Instrumentation Programme 1. Development of innovative wide-field radio camera technologies at mid-frequencies phased array feeds (PAFs) on the dishes (FoV ~ 30 deg 2 ) mid-frequency aperture array (FoV ~ 200 deg 2 ) 2. Ultra-wideband single pixel feeds The AIP is designed to build maturity and retire risk. Has the potential for enhancing SKA 1 and being a major part of SKA 2 e.g. PAF evaluation point in 2014, Final technology decision SKA2 in 2016.

10 SKA 2 including AIP technologies Dense Aperture Arrays 2500 Dishes 3-Core Central Region Wide Band Single Pixel Feeds 250 Sparse Aperture Arrays Artist renditions from Swinburne Astronomy Productions Phased Array Feeds

11 SKA1 baseline design component, Low frequency aperture arrays LOFAR (Netherlands et al)

12 Aperture Arrays: - coming of age e.g. AA calibration and synthesis imaging.

13 Aperture Arrays: - coming of age e.g. simultaneous multiple field of views. Hessels et al.

14 Aperture Arrays: - coming of age e.g. simultaneous multiple fields/ multiple use. Kant, Hessels et al.

15 Aperture Arrays: - coming of age 127 deg! Hydra-A Cas-A

16 Low-frequency Radio Astronomy: - coming of age <== Pulsar observations at 16 MHz! Hessels et al.

17 Low-frequency Radio Astronomy: - coming of age Huge potential - fundamental astrophysics - may dominate astrophysics in the next few decades - SKA must be a part of this. <== Pulsar observations at 16 MHz! Pritchard & Loeb

18 Next step: Scientifically Capable Dense Aperture Array EMBRACE Building and exercising a scientifically capable Dense Aperture Array is essential... AAVS-2 (2014)

19 SKA: - coming of age Need to get away from worrying too much about the front-end and more about the back-end processing/networking, s/w development, archiving, access to data, scientific exploitation... The network is the telescope Build it and they will come! Dewdney et al. 2010

20 SKA Timeline - past, present and future Preliminary R&D Initial Concept Phase Preparatory Phase System design, Site selection, Governance Pre-construction Phase Detailed design, Production readiness Construction (SKA1 and SKA2) Operations

21 Pre-construction Phase Governance Interim Founding Board created 2 April 2011 Nine signatories at Government or Funding Agency level Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa UK + observers (Canada, Japan, Korea, India, ESO, EC, US SKA Cons.) Goals of Founding Board: 1. Decide location of the new SKA Project Office (SPO) - Jodrell Bank Observatory 2. Oversee transition from SPDO => SPO transition 3. Agree a resourced Project Execution Plan 4. Establish a legal entity for the SKA Organisation

22 Pre-construction Phase Governance Founding Board representation: - 1 Government/Agency person + 1 scientist. Founding Board to be replaced by a legal entity soon: SKA Ltd - UK Company Limited by Guarantee Membership Agreement and Articles of Association currently in draft form Members appoint a Board of Directors to run the company General Director SPO to be appointed after site decision made interim director likely to be appointed. search committee appointed.

23 Organisation: 1 January 2012 SKA Members

24 Pre-construction phase ( ) Main goals: Progress the SKA design to the stage that contracts for construction of major sub-systems can be let. Mature the SKA Project Office (SPO) into an organisation capable of carrying out the construction, verification, and operation of the telescope. Secure Funding for SKA1.

25 Work Packages in the Project Execution Plan SPO Work Package Contractors

26 Organisation: 1 January 2012 SKA Members

27 Project Execution Plan 11 work packages ( ): Proposed funding: 91 M 28 M for SPO staff and operations (30%) 63 M for WP Consortia under contract to SPO (70%) Review panel SKA is ready to transition from science project to big project

28 Site selection

29 South Africa + 7 countries

30 South Africa + 7 countries

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33 SKA Site decision? MAG 33

34 Time Qu Site decision SKA Ltd Membership (other factors...) SKA Board of Directors 31 Dec 2011 Motivated recommendation Site Selection Advisory Committee Nov 2011 Advisory panel reports (S&T): Advisory panel reports (other factors): Current and long-term RFI environment Ionospheric turbulence Tropospheric turbulence Array science performance Site physical characteristics Customs and excise Security Legal, Employment Working and Support Conditions Political, Socio-economic and Financial Situations

35 Conclusions Lot s of progress being made. est. legal entity, SPO, site selection etc. SKA transitioning into a real project. momentum continues to build... but more funding required... Aperture Arrays have come of age: low frequency radio astronomy (< 1.5 GHz) in the ascendency. The network is the telescope... SKA => Radio Astronomy Zoo? 35

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